Antihero: an Antz sequel
by Moonfire
Summary: I pick up where Dreamworks left off;)
1. Default Chapter

Antihero(revised)  
  
(Fire Ant/Cutter's Colony battle sequence)  
  
By the time Z reached the entrance with the rescuing vine, Bala was gone. In typical Z-like   
fashion, he panicked. "Oh no, this is the worst! The worst!" Z's hands shot up to his head as he whined to the sky. If he'd had hair, he would have knotted it at the temples. Instead, he mashed his antennae with his fists. "When the honeymoon's over, it's really over..." he muttered pacing. He stopped long enough to yell.   
  
"HELLLLP!!!"  
  
Some birds scattered from the far away trees, and they were flying in the other direction. Z plopped down right where he was. "Oh, get it together!" he admonished himself with a sigh. "Who's gonna hear an insignificant dirt relocation engineer bellowing out in the boonies? I gotta go back to the colony and get help..."  
  
Z realized just how long the journey was back as he climbed a blade of grass to look for the monolith. It was the halfway point between the forest where he was and Cutter's colony beyond it in the desert. Z sighed...again. Then he set out on foot to the colony.   
  
* * *  
  
The first thing Bala saw when her eyes focused were the eerie shadows being cast on the dark, musty tunnel walls by torchlight. She was being dragged by two hefty male soldiers with eyes like mad dogs and a stench that could have bored a new tunnel in her own colony. My God, where was she? Hell? Either that or her morning sickness was starting already...  
  
Before the next morbid thought entered her head, the tunnel turned sharply to reveal a huge torchlit chamber. Bala gasped at what filled it. It was a royal throneroom of SOME sort, but looked like something from a freak show.   
  
All around the room, the attendants, if that's what they could be called, lounged, danced, ate, and cavorted. One male ant even took the end of one of his crackling antennas and blew fire out of his mouth toward the ceiling to scattered applause and whoops of approval. Three beautiful but mean looking female ants swam and played in a large pool in the middle of the room with a crowd of young males. Bala recognized their deep red color as fire ants. She'd heard about them, and not favorably. She didn't find them any more impressive now.   
  
"Your Highness, we have the prisoner." one of her captors announced to the largest female, the one being massaged by one of the flirtatious males. She flicked her wrist and they scattered. Her two sisters rose out of the pool and sat at the edge to watch. Bala's eyes widened momentarily as the elder Queen exited the pool. She insisted on making a show of it. With a smirk, her great orange-veined wings roared to life, scattering water droplets like daggers as she flew up. All within range wisely gave her room. Electra buzzed her wings madly just before making impact with the ground, then stared at Bala with narrowed red eyes that were like almond-shaped embers. Without removing her predatorial gaze, she addressed her attendants.   
  
"Look alert, everyone, we are in the company of royalty." She bowed mockingly. "Welcome, Your Majesty." she purred while her subjects snickered behind her. Bala's own face was as red as Queen Electra's eyes. What a total, prize-winning BITCH! She got right down to business. It was a bluff but it would have to do.   
  
"I don't know who you THINK you are, but MY soldiers are on their way right now to kick your sorry..."  
  
She didn't get to finish her sentence. Electra cut her off. "Your measly little friends won't come within a mile of here. Besides, it's not often that visitors drop in, let alone royalty." She came closer to Bala and circled her like a vulture. "We could always use another Queen, especially one from a rival colony with...secrets."  
  
What the hell was she talking about? Bala scrunched up her nose and said nothing.   
  
"Are you good at keeping secrets, dear?" Electra jerked her head slightly from side to side like an inquisitive bird. Bala wanted to slap her away. "Haven't you ever wondered what happened to the father of your colony? Where he came from?" Now Bala came right out and said it.   
  
"What are you talking about?" she glared.   
  
Electra straightened and smirked again. She clapped her hands once. "Storytime!" she chirped, and mood music started from an assembly of players in the corner. Bala rolled her eyes. Were these guys for real???  
  
"Once upon a time there was a handsome fire ant who was betrothed to the Queen of a faraway Fire Ant colony, but he fell for the Queen of the Brown Kingdom instead. The sad Fire Ant Queen searched high and low for him, but could not find him."  
  
Bala got it. "My mother's dead and so is my father." she fumed. "I'm the Queen of the 'Brown Ant' colony now." she put two index fingers in the air and wiggled them to emphasize "Brown Ant". "What the hell do you want from me?" She leaned forward and clenched her fists as she had done not so long ago in General Mandible's office.   
  
Electra's face lit up at the mention of the death of Bala's mother. "Well, well well, we've struck the jackpot!" she exclaimed, beaming. "Less work for us!" More than a few ants laughed. "This is too easy." She ordered her guards to "escort" Bala out of the chamber. "We have a special room prepared for you just for the occasion." she announced. "This is your new kingdom, Bala. With one exception...you still have to answer to ME!" Laughing, Electra returned to the waiting arms of her male harem who escorted her to her ornate pillows made from white dandelion seeds.   
  
  
  
* * *  
  
Z hadn't run this fast since the escape from the Fire Glass in the desert. He huffed through the first chamber of tunnels that led to Cutter's office. This time the guards welcomed him congenially, but Z was no less agitated than when he'd had to get past them before.   
  
"Gotta...(pant-pant)...get to Cutter..."(WHEEZE) Z doubled over once, then stumbled on his way. Luck was on his side when he saw the Colonel talking to a group of workers just inside the main chamber. "Colonel Cutter, SIR!" he gasped, still clutching his chest. "Bala's in trouble! We need to round up the troops!"  
  
The Colonel raised an eyebrow, then narrowed his eyes as the message sank in. "You're back a little early from your honeymoon, aren't you? What happened to the Queen?"  
  
Z looked exasperated. "She fell down a hole! A big, death-trap, never-come-out-again kind of hole!" he sputtered.   
  
"Where?" Cutter's face grew dark, and so did his voice.   
  
"In the Forest next to the Oak Hive. We gotta go find her!"  
  
The Colonel looked thoughtful for a moment, then his eyes flashed with an idea. "Z, I've been thinking about...moving you up in the ranks." he said to Z's suprize. "I don't think Bala just fell down a hole, I think she's got company. Calling it a death trap is an accurate assessment. I know for a fact that there's a lot of critters in that forest, and they're not exactly friendly. Looks like we got another fight on our hands...but first, I'd like to do a little negotiating..."  
  
Z interrupted him, but Cutter didn't seem to notice. "You mean she's been kidnapped? By what?"   
  
"That's what my recon team's got to find out." Cutter finished. "We'll send Leiutenant Speede as as ambassador to plead her release. He's the best you know." He tilted his head momentarily before continuing. Z looked totally confused. "Really it's just a cover up to distract them from the soldiers I'm sending to surround the colony. That's where YOU come in, Z." he put a hand on his shoulder. Now Z looked shocked.   
  
"Oh no! Not again! I thought the war hero was retired to a life of unholy matrimony!" he half joked. The Colonel smiled...slightly.   
  
"I'm depending on you Z. Bala's depending on you. You have the best job of all...you get to rescue the damsel in distress." He patted Z's cheek with comradre.   
  
Z sank to his knees and groaned. "Do you know what you're asking me to do, Sir?" he complained with a whine. "How am I even going to FIND her, let alone rescue her?"  
  
The Colonel was unswayed. "Recon 50 will be there to help you." he said. "And I'll tag along, too."   
  
Z sighed as Cutter helped him to his feet. "Yes Sir." he wavered, pathetically. "All's fair in love and war they say."   
  
Cutter smirked. "Couldn't have said it better myself. Now follow me, Private." Z shuffled after him, his head wagging.   
  
* * *  
  
The ground troops circled the fire ant colony in the shadows and remained hidden while R50 with Cutter in the lead approached the entrance where Bala had fallen. Delta's sensetive nose had already caught the pungent scent of fire ants long before and he cringed visibly. Colonel Cutter's own tracker's nose was assaulted by the foreign presence. It brought out the predatorial flight/fight urge in him and he had to struggle to supress it or he would rush headlong into the tunnel to let his dagger do the talking for him.   
  
Z just stood behind a blade of grass and shook like the scared little insect he was. A soldier again! He couldn't believe it. And this time it was involuntary. What was the Colonel thinking? He'd just been lucky before. He didn't expect that to happen again. But now he wasn't just looking out for Number One. He needed to think about Bala too.   
  
Every soldier bristled with the awareness of the enemy colony's presence. Many trembled visibly. "Steady..." growled Colonel Cutter, looking back slowly with glinting eyes. They watched him like coiled springs as he disappeared into the torchlit main tunnel.   
* * *  
  
Bala sat in the bare, dark cell with her back against the far wall. A single torch was her only light, and a wall full of weapons her only company. The door to the chamber opened and she tensed.   
  
She was met with a shy, slow-moving ant with fire-orange eyes and so many scars she looked like a scout map. She was jumpy but determined. In her slightly trembling hands was a water bowl and some ripe fruit, which she held out hesitantly through the bars to the Queen.   
  
"Hurry, take it!" she whispered in an airy, but husky voice. "I'm not supposed to be here, but I won't let my sisters starve you to death."   
  
Bala was intrigued, and thankful. "Your sisters?" she said in hesitant awe. "You mean those royalty wannabes?"   
  
"Yes." the other female confirmed, and smiled just a little. "I'm as much a prisoner as you are." Her smile dropped and she turned away.   
  
"Wait!" Bala said, getting more amazed by the second... and disgusted. "What's your name?"  
  
The girl turned around. "Cherry..." she almost whispered. She looked out the door nervously, then disappeared like a whisper down the tunnel. Bala slumped against the wall, shaking her head.   
  
* * *  
  
As predicted, the recon group was "greeted" by a two fire ant guards within seconds of entering the tunnel. Cutter wasted no time.   
  
"We wish to speak with your Queen." he said levelly, almost gritting his teeth. Behind him, Blue, Speede and Delta stood like statues of frozen rage.   
  
"About what?" one of the guards mocked, fingering his spear. "You come trick-or-treatin?" His buddy chuckled. Cutter was not amused.   
  
"You have something of ours." he said calmly, feeling his blood boil. "She's kind of important to our colony, since she's the Queen and all." he shrugged in mock casualness. The guard looked them up and down with a smirk. He wasn't in a cooperative mood.   
  
"What do I get for it?" he said more menacingly.   
  
Cutter's eyes narrowed. Speede growled under his breath. He wanted to take this troublemaker out right now. "I was thinking along the lines of what you'll get if you DON'T." he said in a dangerously low voice.   
  
The guard jerked his head at his partner. "We got us a problem here." he said partly to him, partly to Cutter. Before he could whistle for more guards, Cutter had gone into action and slugged him in the stomach. When the first guard crumpled with a clatter of his spear, the Colonel gave a quick signal for Delta to run in search of Bala. Meanwhile, Blue and Speede jumped on the other guard and sent him toppling over the first one.   
  
"Well, we got past the receptionist..." Blue joked, stepping lightly over their incoherant bodies. "But now we're gonna have to go bowling."   
  
Speede snarled and whipped his head around. "Shut up, Blue." he warned. The Colonel turned around and gave them both a warning look as they continued on. His nose was already picking up more guards down the tunnel. He held up 6 fingers to show how many. Their original plan for asking the nice way was out. They were going to have to crash this party.   
  
Six rounds of battering and bruises later, they stumbled into the main royal chamber, where the palace was sleeping...at least some of them were. The rest were...  
  
"...Holy Sh....!!!" Cutter quickly slapped a hand on Blue's mouth and shussed him. Speede's eyes widened, then narrowed in disgust. Cutter looked straight ahead, having sensed the Queens before they sensed him. He picked out the most powerful Queen among the three and kept his eye on her. She sensed the three brown ants as soon as they saw her, and a small smile played at her mouth in the dimly lit shadows. Her male concubine kissed her hand as a gesture of release and reluctantly drew back from her, eyeing the strangers with just as much wariness and hatred.   
  
Queen Electra's reaction was tinged with just a little more curiosity.   
  
"Ah, the great brown warriors have arrived! Bravo, bravo, gentlemen, a most excellent display of loyalty! I see you're most...eager to join your Queen."  
  
"Where...is...she?" Cutter drew his words out in a low, borderline growl.   
  
Queen Electra rose gracefully from her bed like a feline, and padded toward Cutter slowly. Her red eyes seemed to swim toward him in slow motion, mesmerizing him. "Oh, I can take you to her." she purred, gesturing toward the center of the room. Speede and Blue followed, ready to spring. The court visibly drew back at the sight of Speede's towering, menacing form. Even Electra's eyes flickered with momentary fear, but she quickly recovered. "On one condition." she continued, circling the Colonel like a prize hunk of meat. "You agree to serve my colony." Speede growled, but Cutter held up his hand to silence him. Blue guffawed into his hand, and Speede slapped his talons over his face. Cutter's eyes closed momentarily, fighting the ambivalence the Queen created in both his body and mind. She wasn't the Queen for nothing.   
  
He decided to play it cool. "I have to admit I'm impressed." he said in his casual tone. "The work you must have put into this colony, it's amazing. And you're easy on the eyes yourself, Your Majesty. But, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to decline your offer. I'm not into that kind of...service."   
  
Electra smirked, her antennas crackling with electricity. It was a signal to another fire ant who pulled a lever under a secret compartment near the throne. "Very well." she said calmly. Too calmly. Before the three could react, a trap door opened under them and they fell through. Their wings roared to life before impact with the ground several feet below. Above them, they could hear Electra's insane laughter along with the rest of the royal host.  
  
* * *  
  
Delta had wandered the tunnels for seemingly hours trying to find Queen Bala. Her trail had crossed all the ranges from hot to cold and vice versa. He knew time was running out, and so were his options. This place gave him the creeps. It was musty, damp and cold, and not just physically. There was something in the air that wasn't quite right...  
  
Then before he realized what was happening, a stacilite fell from the tunnel ceiling and bonked him on the head. Delta saw stars and dropped out cold.   
  
  
Cutter, Blue and Speede picked themselves off the ground in a cursing, grumbling display. It was pitch black and they couldn't see a thing.There were also enough cobwebs to make several mini-trampolines out of. "Where the hell are we?" Speede snarled helplessly, slashing at the sticky, annoying webs.   
  
Blue rolled his eyes in the dark. "Shall I consult my handy Fire Ant underground trail map guide?" he said sarcastically. Speede took a swing at him, but missed. Blue hopped out of the way, snickering.   
  
Cutter was not amused. "Men! We've got to find our way out of here. Stop messing around and start digging!" All of them wished they had some of the workers here now. Speede found a weak part of the ground about twenty feet away and tore into it with his talons. The other two followed the sound of his frantic digging and helped him. Soon the ground fell through...and so did they.   
  
They were sliding down a rough, but slippery chute of some kind. They emerged in a lower, torchlit tunnel system that radiated out in several directions. But the torches weren't the only thing lighting the dim, musty tunnels. A lone female fire ant crossed the entrance to their tunnel in front of them, her head down and her feet shuffling as though she didn't care if she got where she was going. The three males exchanged puzzled, then determined looks, and gave chase, Speede leading the way. The female started in terror and her wings buzzed to life. They stopped her near the entrance to the prison cells where Speede promptly threw her against the wall. Cherry had never seen anything so frightening in her life as this monsterous ant. Who was he? WHAT was he?   
  
"Where are you going, FIRE ANT?" he demanded, a little too pleased with his show of dominance. Cherry was scared, but her determination to survive was stronger.   
  
"GET OFF ME!!!" she shrieked, and drew a dagger. Speede grabbed her wrist and it clattered to the ground.   
  
"I'm going to ask you one more time..."  
  
"STOP!!!" came another female voice from inside the cell out of their site. They all whipped around. It had been Queen Bala who had spoken...or rather, bellowed. "I order you to STOP, Lieutenant!" Speede's eyes widened in suprize, but he snarled as he released Cherry. Colonel Cutter and Private Blue stared at her in amazement and suspicion. Cherry stared back. They looked like a gang of cats about to pounce, complete with warning looks on both sides. "Dammit LET ME OUT OF HERE!" demanded Bala to anyone who would listen. Speede retreated into the chamber, staring down Cherry as long as she was in his field of vision. Cherry slumped against the wall, shaking, her eyes wide. Cutter and Blue flanked her to prevent escape, but they drew no weapons and said nothing. Cherry hid her head in her lap, wondering how she could get out of this. Speede slashed through the well-made, but not well enough cell and escorted Bala out.   
  
"I hate to say this, but...I missed you guys." she said with a wry smile. Cutter bowed slightly.   
"Just doing our job, Your Majesty. Now what should we do with THIS one?" he tilted his head at the slumped Cherry, who lifted her head to glare at him. "I'd like to keep her as a prisoner of war. My men are outside right now waiting for my signal to storm this sorry colony." Cherry stood up now and shook with rage, clenching her fists. Her antennas were crackling like mad and they all jumped back.  
  
"LEAVE...ME...ALONE!!!" she screamed and slashed the Colonel's face with her own small talons before flying off before they could stop her. Cutter's eyes burned with a Speede-like rage as he swiped the blood off his face. Speede roared and started to take off after the flying ant, but Cutter stopped him reluctantly. Blue just stared down the tunnel with his mouth open and his big brown eyes glittering in the semi dark. Nobody had ever smacked the Colonel and gotten away with it...enemy or otherwise! What a woman!  
  
"Cutter, listen to me!" Bala said in her lecturing voice, hoping she sounded stern enough. Like them, she was scared out of her wits but refused to let it get to her. "She's NOT like the others! She's a slave here. She even gave me food and water because the rest of them wanted me to rot in jail. You're not to kill her, and that's an order! ALL of you!"  
  
Cutter's eye twitched and he had the urge to clack his antennas, but he controlled it. "Yes, Your Majesty." he said in a low voice, bowing. "Now I think Delta needs our help getting out of here."   
  
"Lead on, Hero." Bala said.   
  
* * *  
  
Cherry had decided to evacuate the colony...for good. Now she had enemies on both sides, and they were both in the same place. She knew her colony wouldn't last much longer now anyway, and felt both grateful and sad. This had been her home, meager though it was. She would have kept flying until she was miles outside the main entrance if she hadn't seen the unconscious brown ant lying in the cave. She stopped in her tracks, rather her wings did. She recognized him as one of the group who had come in here to rescue their Queen. He'd been knocked out cold by a stacalite. At first, she smirked. Why should she help him? He was one of them! But then something told her that if she did, they'd be less likely to hunt her down. Besides, he was awfully cute! Cherry reached into her pack and drew out a small cup for water, then dipped into a nearby underground spring. Then she got some aeromatic herbs in a small pouch and held them under his nose. She held her hand under his head and coaxed him awake. Delta came to groggily, putting his hand on his forehead and saying, "Where am I?" Cherry put the cup to his lips to drink.   
  
"You're in my colony. Part of my ceiling fell on your head." she said somewhat sheepishly. She helped him sit up. His eyes finally focused on hers and he drew back in shock.   
  
"Fire ant!" he sputtered, and his wings buzzed madly.   
  
Cherry panicked, and took flight again, somewhat reluctantly. She knew his friends weren't far behind. She wondered if this Delta would lie and blame the injury on her, saying he'd helped himself. But she'd worry about that later. Now she just had to get out of here. She could have sworn there was a family resemblance to him and that bastard Colonel Cutter. All the more reason to leave.   
  
As if on cue, as soon as Cherry was out of sight, the others rushed in to find the injured Delta. He looked traumatized, but was struggling to hold himself together. The sight of his Queen and teammates helped considerably.   
  
"Delta! You're ok, man!" Blue flew over to hug his friend. Cutter went to help him up.   
  
"Can you walk?" he asked in an uncharachteristically concerned voice.   
  
"Yes." Delta confirmed. "Still a little dizzy though."   
  
"Queen Bala, permission to send Seargent Delta to the infirmary?"  
  
"Granted." Bala didn't hesitate. "The only problem is, how do we get out of here?"  
  
Then they heard the buzzing of wings, and followed it. Speede slung Delta over his shoulder. He, Cutter and Delta all recognized the fire ant's scent. Cherry then knew she was being chased, and flew faster. She was unconsciously leading them out of the tunnel. When they emerged into the fresh night air, a squadron of aviators immediately took flight to capture Cherry, but Cutter ordered them to retreat. Instead, Cutter went after her himself, ignoring Bala's yelling. They fought in midair while the other soldiers watched in astonishment. The Queen said he couldn't kill her, but she didn't say he couldn't teach her a lesson in manners. Cherry slashed, kicked, hit, wrestled and even bit him to no avail. The Colonel was stronger and managed to tie her wings and her hands before dragging her down to a nearby juniper root and tie her whole body to it. Her eyes flashed and she spit curses until Bala intervened.   
  
"That's enough, Colonel! We've got bigger fish to fry." Cutter raised an eyebrow, then picked up a spear. By this time the fire ant colony was aware of their presence and troops by the thousands came charging out. Cutter gave the signal with an almost primal scream to attack, and with a roar like ocean waves during a hurricane, they countercharged. This was better than the battle with the termites, and they were more evenly matched. Speede plowed into a whole group of burly fire ant ground troops like a snowblower and tore them to pieces with his spear/sword hybrid.   
  
"We've got to get you outta here!" Cutter yelled above the din as he swooped up Queen Bala to fly her back to the colony. But they had only gotten a few feet up when a fire ant aviator barrelled into them so hard that Cutter dropped Bala. Meanwhile, Cherry had worked up so much electricity with her antennae that she had burned through the vines that held her. This Queen Bala was her last hope for freedom, and she had been the only one who had showed her any kindness. Ignoring the chaos, Cherry made a beeline for the Queen before she was trampled to death. Cutter looked on in horror and swooped down to fight his way through to both of them to reclaim the Queen from the grasp of this crazy fire ant. But Cherry had already carried Bala to safety in a nearby meadow to start healing her. It was the same one where her old boyfriend Runner was buried. As she tended Bala's wounds, she told her about him.   
  
"His own people killed him." she said. "And in a way, they've killed me, too."  
  
Bala was deeply moved by her story, and by the mystery that surrounded this fire ant. "Why did they keep you locked up down there?" she asked, feeling a little stronger as the herbal treatment started to sink in.   
  
Cherry sighed. "It's time I told you the truth about what I am." she looked concerned, even slightly embarassed. "I'm a Queen. Theoretically." She looked away because she felt tears forming. "My sisters have always hated me, and the rest of the colony thinks I'm a joke. They made me a worker to get me out of their way. I never fit in there. I don't fit in anywhere. Once this is over, I'm moving on. I'm not going back to my colony. There's nothing there for me."  
  
Bala looked at her with sympathy, then with a sudden determination. "But there IS something here for you...us. Don't listen to Cutter, he's a pompous moron. If you help us fight, I'll make sure you get a place in our colony."  
  
Cherry listened in shock, not knowing what to think. "But how will it make any difference? I won't be welcome there, either."  
  
"I'll MAKE them welcome you." Bala said strongly, standing up.   
  
Cherry stood and stared, not knowing what to say. Before she could thank her, Cutter buzzed in and landed between Bala and Cherry. "Bala, tell your new 'friend' goodbye. I'm taking you home. This is no place for a queen." He gave Cherry a dubious once over, then swooped Bala up once again into the air. Cherry looked after them for a long moment, then turned around to walk toward the battlefield. She stopped at her secret grove to don her thorn studded anklets, a helmet with even deadlier barbs, and her specially made poisoned tipped rose thorn spear. She rushed forward, leaving the old Cherry behind in the meadow.   
  
She caught Electra trying to slip out the back entrance to the colony. A long awaited snarl escaped Cherry's lips as she confronted her elder sister, afraid no more. "Where do you think you're going, Your Highness?" she said sarcastically.   
  
Electra glared back, then rushed toward Cherry until she stood an antenna's width away from the younger Queen, but Cherry blocked her. "Since when do you give me orders, little brat? Out of my way!" She tried to push Cherry back, but she dug into Electra's shoulders with her claws. Electra's wings buzzed into motion and Cherry hung on. They flew up above the battlefield, struggling in midair. Some of the soldiers on both sides ceased fighting to witness the display. "I'm not your slave anymore!" Cherry yelled. Electra's antennae whipped forward and clashed with Cherry's own, both of them crackling like a transformer going beserk. "I'm reclaiming my birthright!"   
Down below them, the land stretched out for more than a mile in a bizarre patchwork quilt of green and red. The other two queens had already been killed, and only Electra and Cherry remained. There were many wounded on Cutter's colony's side, but there were a lot more killed on the fire ant side. It seemed their victory was in sight.   
  
Meanwhile, Z, who had stayed wisely out of the way till now, stood at the top of a hill lined with boulders. He too watched in dumb fascination and horror as the two Queens struggled fighting. "Who the hell is that?" he said to himself.   
  
Cherry and Electra were locked in their own Armageddon. Electra kept trying to twist her body to sting Cherry with her poisoned tail but the younger Queen kicked at her tail with her ankle barbs. By this time the two opposing sides had all but almost ceased fighting. One Colonel Nightowl loyal to Queen Electra was the only official still living to witness the arial fight and now he swooped up to her rescue. In a last ditch effort to finish off Electra, Cherry butted her head with her thorned helmet, knocking her unconscious before dropping to the ground, where she died instantly. Cherry looked on in shock before she remembered that Nightowl was rushing her. Now her battle switched to ground level, and they clashed spears.   
  
"You need an attitude adjustment my dear, and I'm dying to be the one to give it to you!" Nightowl said with menace.   
  
"Your lover is dead, Nightowl. And you'll soon join her!" Cherry yelled, blocking him.   
  
Above them, Z saw a new menace approaching. It was bigger than the glass that shot fire in the desert, long and silver, and it was heading their way. "Everybody run!" he shouted to Cutter's troops. "Something's coming!" He yelled so loud that he upset the rocks on the slope and started an avalanche. The Big Metal Thing sailed over to the entrance to the fire ant colony and shot something inside. A huge cloud the size of a dust storm rose up and started billowing toward them. The remaining survivors ran for their ant lives, and some were buried under the rubble caused by the avalanche. Cherry and Nightowl were nowhere to be seen. Z stood above the dustbowl for a few frightened seconds, then ran away himself. He'd had enough. He'd be in therapy for the rest of his life over this one.   
  
Cherry and Nightowl stood at the edge of the forest, still fighting. Most of the poison had died down, but some still drifted in like thin fog. The combination of that and the exhaustion of battle was weakening them both.   
  
"You let the General try to rape me, you sonuvabitch!" Cherry spat at him as she swung her spear at his leg. Nightowl jumped back and knocked her over with the blunt end of his own spear, then pointed it at her, a triumphant smile on his face. He looked at her almost playfully.   
  
"You know, that would be a most...delightful way to kill you, Cherry." he said, twisting the point end of the spear just enough to skim her throat. "I've been waiting for this moment all your pathetic life."  
Just then, something hit the Colonel from behind and he fell forward with a whine. Cherry's eyes widened to see Colonel Cutter emerge from the shadows and pull the knife out of Nightowl's back. It had pierced clear through to his black heart, and Cutter winced at the knife as he cleaned it up on the grass beside him. Cherry clutched her spear, waiting for him to make a move. Why had he helped her?  
  
"You're coming with me." he ordered, clutching her arm. "This is no safe place for a Queen."  
  
"What???" Cherry stopped struggling and stared at him incredulously.   
  
"Orders are orders." was all he said, but she thought she saw an almost mischievious glint in his eye as he escorted her up in the air. Cherry's own wings started and she kept pace with him, but he still held onto her arm. Cutter was silent now and she didn't want to encourage any conversation. When they arrived at his colony, she was taken not to a prison cell, but simple quarters to rest.   
  
The next day, Bala came to visit her. Cherry was relieved to see her. She couldn't help but notice that her tail seemed a little bigger than before.   
  
"Your Majesty. " Cherry stood up and bowed her head.   
  
Bala smirked, but good naturedly. "Don't bother with the formalities. Just call me Bala. At least, unless we're in the presence of King Cutter and his court." They shared a laugh. Bala held her abdomen momentarily, wincing. "Ugh, being pregnant sucks." Cherry looked at her in amazement.   
  
"Seriously, I came to talk about your place here. I know this must be a little strange for you. But you need some pointers on how to handle everybody. You're not gonna be Miss Popular for awhile, and with some ants probably never. But nobody from another colony has helped us before and I think you deserve a chance."  
  
Cherry had been thinking over the past events and shook her head as though it was finally sinking in. "I killed my own sister." she said quietly.  
  
"I saw what they did to you." Bala said. "It was time to move on. Something like that happened here, too, but it was the other way around. Our General betrayed our whole colony."   
  
Cherry looked aghast, and a chill ran through her. "What was he, a psycho?" Bala nodded  
  
"And then some. Cutter's a good ant, but he's a bit of a workaholic, and as you saw, VERY loyal to this colony. That's what I want to talk about now. I want you to get plenty of rest because he's going to test you tomorrow.He's a tough old ant. But he's thinking about letting you in the military. I played to his ego and told him it would be the perfect way to make up for the war." Bala rolled her eyes. "But he says you've got the right stuff and if you can play his game, you're in."  
  
Cherry looked dubious, and more than a little scared. "What would that game be?" she asked, quivering slightly.   
  
Bala shrugged. "Who knows? I'm the Queen, but that dosen't mean the Colonel tells me everything. Don't worry, his bark is worse than his bite. But he's a real showoff. I think Speede gets it from him." she winked. Cherry giggled, nervously. "Just play it cool, and stay above him. That's what he wants."  
  
"I get it, I get it." Cherry said softly, nodding. The barest of smiles traced her face, a plan already forming in her mind. "I'll kick his butt, Your Highness." she said innocently. Bala threw her head back and laughed, and so did Cherry.   
  
"You got him beat already." Bala said playfully. "I know you'll make it. I have faith in you."  
  
Cherry tilted her head. "So do I." she said as much to herself as the Queen. 


	2. Recruitment

Cherry felt very nervous as she was escorted up to Colonel Cutter's office by two flanking guards. She was a fireant in an enemy colony, despite the fact that she had saved the Queen's life from her own people's attack. She was still viewed with reactions that ranged from curiosity to suspicion to outright hatred. Especially since she was born a queen. She had heard that Cutter wanted to talk to her, nothing more. Perhaps this was to be a quiet execution. Maybe this colony was gracious by that much at least, to not make a public show of her death. But yet when she had saved Bala and Delta, he had seemed suprized...and grateful. Still, perhaps they had kept her alive long enough to stabalize them. She had not been put in prison during her short overnight stay here, but in special quarters near the main colony. What could that mean? These fearful thoughts chased each other through her mind until she noticed they were at the door to Cutter's office. Oh no! This was it! She was dead, she knew it! Cherry's normally ruby red markings went pale pink with anxiety as the guards announced her...  
  
Colonel Cutter signaled the guard to hold while he read through the report one  
more time, just to make absolutely sure. He needed no reassurance of course,  
because he had been there himself, but he still couldn't believe it. A enemy  
queen saving his people from her own colony... He just couldn't grasp it. And still,  
it was no mere fantasy, it did happen and now he owed his life to this queen,  
this - he searched the rapport for her name - this Cherry. No, he wasn't going  
to let emotions get in the way of his judgement. She still was the enemy and  
in the back of his head, his instincts were on full alarm. There was something  
wrong about all this, and he was going to figure it out.  
"All right, let her in."  
While the two guards escorted her into the room, Cutter studied her quietly.  
She was obviously afraid, but even now she had still a certain glow : the glow  
of royalty and warrior at the same time. It was something he had never seen  
before. As she sat down, he told the guards to wait outside. The two looked at  
eachother in amazement and then back at him. But one stern look told them  
there was no arguing about it. They left quietly, still not completely  
convinced that the colonel had made the right decision. But they followed  
orders, and this was all that mattered to him right now. He turned his  
attention back to his prisoner, looking at him with a puzzled look on her  
face. She was probably as amazed as the guards were. He stood up from behind  
his desk and walked towards her, picking up a small blade lying on his desk.  
"So," he said, towering over her, firmly holding the blade in his hand, "give  
me one good reason I shouldn't kill you right here... spy."  
  
Cherry spooked, then quickly recovered, though she was still pale with fright. The gigantic bas relief of an imposing insect with glittering, solid black eyes on the wall near the desk didn't help her nerves, either. "Sir, with all due respect! How can I be a spy for my people after your colony KILLED them all?" She struggled to control her shaking, from rage or fear, she didn't know which.  
  
She had a good point, and he knew it. Still, he was not showing any of his doubts  
towards her. One of the first rules of interrogations : never show your enemy your  
emotions, if any. Cutter knew this all to well... He also noticed that she  
obviously wasn't about to go without a fight. Well, if she wanted a fight, she was  
going to get one.  
"So you are telling me that you saved Queen Bala and Seargent Delta's life from your own colony, just because  
it felt good?!" And with a powerful blow, he planted the blade into the desk,  
right in front of her.  
  
He reminded her of Nightowl, the now presumed dead Colonel of her own previous colony. Just as firey, just as determined, intelligent, yet stubborn. This was a man who she could tell would only listen to reason if he had the upper hand. Her life was at stake, so she would have to shelve her pride for now. She would have to feed his ego. That would be the only way to make him listen. And perhaps then, she could reason with him.   
  
Cherry stood up, to show (if only outwardly) that the knife didn't scare her, and looked Cutter straight in the eye. "Sir, I befriended Bala before the battle with my colony. I stopped being a part of my colony long before that. When I had a chance to compare the two, I saw your colony had honor, which mine lacked. I was abused by not only my three other queen sisters, but by the whole colony for being "inferior". They stripped me of my queen status and made me into a worker. I was beaten, raped, and enslaved by my own people. Is there anything else you'd like to know?" She tilted her head slightly, holding him in her gaze.  
  
"Stating your case, are you?" Cutter repeated silently, while he slowly  
headed  
back for his desk. For some reason, he would have liked to let Speede take  
her  
on, just to see how much of a warrior she was. But he couldn't let things  
get out  
of hand...yet. Know your enemy before you engage in battle. But he still  
wasn't  
convinced that she actually wàs the enemy. So the best thing he could do for  
now  
was to find out exactly what she was doing here and why she tolerated all  
this.  
From his past experience, he knew that royalty didn't quite tolerate this  
kind of  
interrogation. Off course, if what she was telling was the truth, she was as  
much  
a queen as any worker ant was. He seated himself and signaled Speede with his  
eyes to flank him. Then he let the tension linger for a few more moments,  
switching his gaze from her to the knife, still sticking ostentatiously out  
of  
his desk, almost inviting her to grab it and stab them both. But she probably  
knew that this would be a pointless action. Then he slowly picked up the  
report  
from his desk. "Well then, if you are not here to avenge the death of your  
colony, what are you here for? What do you expect me to do? Did you save us  
back  
there just so I could kill you right here?"   
  
Cherry resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the last repeated sentence. This  
was getting real old, REAL fast...  
  
"I wish to serve the colony, Sir." Cherry explained, hoping he would get it  
this time. She was hoping this was good diplomacy. "Whatever it is you feel  
I've done, my skills as a tracker, medic and warrior would make up for your  
loss." She allowed her eyes to shine hopefully.  
  
She was obviously serious about this. An enemy queen working in the Colony...  
But then again, she had proven herself quite a warrior in the battle with her  
colony. And he could always assign someone to keep a good eye on her. Now if he  
only could find a single solution for both problems. "We can always use warriors  
with your expertise," he admitted. "But I don't know if a know any unit that would  
want to operate with the former queen of ..." Suddenly he got it : he found the  
perfect solution. He gave her a tight smile and then turned his head towards  
Speede, who's jaw dropped when he saw Cutter's smile. "No, sir, you can't be  
serious! We have no need for a ex-queen in our squadron, we..." "On the contrary,  
lieutenant, you haven't got a good healer yet and an extra tracker always comes in  
handy." Speede glared in Cherry's direction and was about to continue his argument  
with the colonel, when Cutter raised his hand and turned back to Cherry. "Tell me,  
have you ever heard of Recon 50?"  
  
Feeling relieved that Cutter wasn't going to kill her, Cherry said, "No,  
Sir. I don't get out much." she added wryly, smiling ever so slightly.  
  
"Well, I didn't expect you to. Recon 50 is the squadron I reserve for the most...  
challanging mission. I bet you'll feel right at home. It contains some of the best  
warriors in the air force. But, you don't get in so easily, you'll need to pass a  
... test," he told her smiling. "Do you think you're up to the challange?"  
  
Cherry tensed again. "And just what might that be, Sir?" she said cautiously,  
glancing at both him and Speede.  
  
"Oh, you'll find out soon enough..." he said enigmaticly. "Lieutenant Speede,  
inform the guards that they're not needed anymore." Speede headed to the door  
and Cutter pulled the dagger out of his desk and hung it on the back wall,  
where there was hanging an entire arsenal of weapons of all sizes and forms.  
While he was running over them carefully, Speede re-entered and took a position  
behind Cherry. "Speede, would you be so kind to escort our guest to the hangar?  
You know what to do," he told him without turning around. Speede muttered  
something under his breath, but did follow orders and took Cherry by the arm  
and headed out the door. Only a few seconds after they left, Cutter took one of  
the blades from the wall and headed out the door.  
  
After passing through some darker tunnels, they arrived at the airfield. There,  
they headed for a smaller hangar in the back, which had a small training area  
next to it.  
  
Cherry knew what was coming, and she couldn't believe it. The Colonel wanted  
her to duel with HIM! Was this how they initiated all new recruits, or just  
ones from an enemy colony? She also noticed that several spectators were  
gathering to watch the show. Well, despite the Colonel's handsome, but  
predatorial looks, he had more than fired her up for a duel, accusing her of  
being a spy. And this Speede, who the hell did he think HE was? He reminded  
her of a huge, long lanky black panther, always crouched to spring and  
growling. God help the colony if HE ever became Colonel...  
  
  
As more ants gathered around their sparring area, Delta and Topper became more and  
more puzzled. "What in the Queen's name is going on out there," asked Delta.  
"Don't ask me, little buddy," Topper replied, "I can't remember anything from the  
last hours.""Of course you can't! You passed out at Chug last night... again."  
"I did? Did Cara say anything?"  
"Why would she do that, hey? We've all grown accustomed to it. Nobody's shocked  
anymore."  
At that moment, Blue rushed in through the front door."Look at the new recruit the boss dragged in! It's SHOWTIME!"  
  
Delta and Topper gave each other a quick, questioning look before they followed  
Blue out the main door to the sparring area, now already packed with  
spectators....  
  
Cherry calmed herself as much as possible, remembering the tactics Runner and her own past experience in the field had taught her. She tried not to remember this guy was next to the Queen as leader of the colony, a veteran of war, AND skilled in both intelligence and battle. He had been trained in organized warfare, she was just a tribal lone wolf. But she wasn't about to let THAT little problem stand in her way. She stood in beginning duel stance, like a coiled spring. She had killed whole squadrons of wasps, praying mantisis, and her own colony's General, she could take on this skinny little brown ant bean...Her antennas crackled in warning, letting the Colonel know her spear and force of personality weren't the ONLY lethal weapons she had.  
  
As the crowd parted, Cutter hovered to his starting position, not letting his gaze  
off Cherry. She had already proven herself before, so he knew that this wasn't  
going to be like a walk in the park. She fighting for her very survival. If she  
lost, she was surely to be banned from the Colony and in spite of Bala and Z's  
philosophy, Cutter knew that a single ant couldn't survive long in the wilderness  
alone, not even with her experience. He, on the other hand, had his position and  
the respect of his troops to defend. So he was not about to give away his victory,  
just because he had an odd sence of respect for her. For the moment, his men were  
more important then his personal feelings. Probably a leftover from Mandible's old  
regime... He shook away this last thought as he softly touched the ground,  
bringing his blade in battle position. For a moment, he looked at his blade, one of  
his favorite weapons. It was designed by corporal Topper and looked like a normal  
spear on one side, but had a vicious blade on the other side, manufactered from  
the claws of a praying mantis he slayed. He then shifted his gaze towards her  
weapon, which seemed much lighter and not nearly as intimidating as his blade, but  
only so to the untrained eye. A real warrior noticed the almost hidden barbs,  
which made it a fierce and formidable weapon, probably deadly when used by a  
skilled soldier. And as he looked at her getting in a battle stance, he knew that  
she was a master with this particular weapon...  
  
  
Cherry locked Cutter's eyes with her own, sizing him up. Runner had taught her this technique, and so had five years in the wild. She could feel and smell the surge of energy that preceeded an opponent's move, and Cutter had that energy now. Neither of them noticed that the Queen, Z and Bala had joined the crowd to watch, and stood back in the shadows safely out of harm's way. They whispered amongst themselves.   
  
"Isn't that the fire ant who saved Cutter?" Bala said suspiciously to Z. "That's a helluva way to thank her."  
  
Z smirked. "I think the Colonel's having a worse day than usual."  
  
"Language, Bala." the Queen warned her daughter congenially. With a supressed sigh, she explained. "The Colonel feels that he has to test her. I don't know what to make of her myself. He told me that if she loses, she is banished from the colony. If she wins, she'll become a soldier."  
  
"WHAT?" Z and Bala said together.  
  
Cherry was silent as she waited for Cutter to make a move. The whole world seemed to stand still. The harsh arena light fell upon Cutter's well-chiseled face, making it seem even more predatorial. There was a deep orange pinpoint of light in his eyes that bespoke a nature beyond the call of duty waiting to spring. He was no longer Cutter the Colonel, but Cutter the warrior. Beneath the official surface lay a feral creature defending it's home. The same wild instince arose in Cherry in a defensive stance, the pupils of her orange eyes contracting to pinpoints in the light. If she lived, she would defend this colony as though she were it's queen. If she died, at least she would die honorably.   
  
For a few seconds, Cutter ran through possible tactics in his mind. She was  
faster and more agile then he was, so he was going to play this on strength and  
the element of surprise. She was probably under more pressure then he was, so he  
had to find a way to use this against her. He waited a few more seconds before he  
leaped at her, as a hunter on a helpless prey. And with one swift motion, he  
hacked out at her with the blade on his spear, going straight for her waist...  
  
With a yelp, Cherry blocked him with her own spear as they clashed. She used  
all her strength to hold him back, her antennas crackling like mad. She knew  
he was stronger than she was, but she had plenty of other tricks to pull to  
make up the difference. At least, she hoped. No matter how many insects she  
fought, there was always one who had an unexpected move she was never  
prepared for. She remembered the soldiers in her own colony. Though their  
military had been loosely organized, if at all, they fought mean, and they  
fought dirty. Cherry realized that as disciplined as this colony's military  
was with it's rules, those rules probably didn't apply to fire ants. As she  
held back Cutter, her orange eyes burned into his to show him she was not  
afraid.  
  
He pushed on his blade with all his weight, but he realised that this was  
futile, because the suprise effect hadn't worked on her. So he withdrew back in to  
battle stance and in one smooth motion readied his weapon, this time with the spear  
point ready to receive any counter attack. To his surpise, she seemed hardly taken  
aback from it.   
  
The crowd unanomously held it's breath for the next move. Blue held back the urge to let out a loud whoop for the Colonel.   
  
Cherry had to find a way to knock this guy down. Now, what could she do about that mean ol' pointed spear? Without thinking, she rushed within three feet of him, then stopped abruptly on her toes, her weapon poised. He growled slightly, and swung at her midsection but Cherry danced away from him. Her wings kept buzzing and she fought the urge to fly up. Their spears clashed so hard that it made sparks fly. The crowd roared.   
  
"GO CUTTER!!!" Blue now blurt out above the noise. Bala winced.   
  
Cherry lost her grip on her spear from Cutter pushing so hard against it and spun around in an involuntary circle. But this served in her favor. When she stopped the turn with her foot, she used the flat end of her spear to whack the Colonel in the tail. But it didn't produce the effect she'd desired, which was to make him stumble and fall down. Instead, he spun around and cut into her leg with the edge of his own spear, producing a scream of pain that turned into a scream of rage. Her antennae crackled in response, and forgetting the spear, she threw her head forward and lashed his face and shoulders with her charged built-in whips. The Colonel wasn't prepared for this and screamed in pain. Cherry bounced back with a look of shock. She hadn't intended to go that far. But the Colonel wasn't down, yet, and neither was she. So she braced for the counterattack.   
  
And she got it.   
  
The Colonel raged forward like a speeding train, and without using her wings, Cherry bounced up into the air and flipped over him. She rolled like a ball then hopped back up behind him, hoping to take him down by suprize. But she was too late. He spun like a top and sliced at her antennas, which were still crackling, barely skimming the top of her head. The electricity backfired down his spear and shocked him, making him draw back with a snarl. This guy really had a predatorial side, Cherry realized. Gone was the cool, authoritative commander and in his place was a snarling, do or die animal. The same was happening to Cherry. She flashed back to the battle with Queen Electra and for a moment, his face became hers. Cherry braced her spear in both hands at opposite ends and blocked Cutter's swift lunges. Hers was a weapon that could bend but not break, but so was his. And for this next move, his strength won over hers.   
  
While Cherry unsuccessfully tried to take him down with a leg swipe from her studded ankle braces, Cutter pushed her down instead, knocking her spear out of the ring in the process. The whole crowd cheered, and some groaned. This didn't look good. "Surrender, fire ant." he said with angry triumph as Cherry lay panting and bleeding at his feet. Speede leaned on his haunches from a high place above the air field and smiled toothily. "Good going, Colonel." he said under his breath.   
  
But Cherry had other plans. She wasn't beaten yet. She leaped up and grabbed the middle of Cutter's spear in both hands and kicked at his calves with her thorned ankle studs. As he tried to push her away, she used her studded wrist bracelets to push into his chest, causing him to lose control of the spear, and his balance. He fell down, with Cherry's foot planted in his stomach and her electric antennae dangling in his face. She kicked the spear out of his grasp and held onto his wrists with clenched fists. "Shall we dance?" she teased unmercifully. The Colonel yelled curses in protest of everything. "I take that as a yes?" The Colonel's wings buzzed just enough to give him leverage, and he rose up slightly to fight her off. But Cherry was relentless. She had him down, she was gonna keep him that way. The crowd was starting to chant something and shake their fists. More than half of them were standing up and leaning forward as though straining to get closer. Cherry kept Cutter's legs pinned with her feet to prevent him from flipping her over. "Give it up, Colonel!" she hissed at him, her eyes flashing down at him. "I've won!" She knew she had to remove her antennas soon or it might kill him. She flipped them back and forced them to stop crackling, but still struggled to keep him pinned with her arms and legs. She couldn't believe how strong he was. But even he was getting tired. He relaxed and lay back, panting and closed his eyes as though he had fainted. But as soon as Cherry stood up, he rose, knocking her to the ground. "You sneaky bastard!" she yelled as she went sprawling. Now it was Cutter's turn to pin her. He grinned evilly down at her as she struggled to get out of his grasp.   
  
"What goes around comes around." he taunted. He shoved her head down by her shoulders and bonked it on the ground twice before she dug her claws into his own shoulders to make him howl in pain. They fought like wild dogs in hand to hand combat. At one point, Cherry rolled over far enough to get to both spears, and giving the Colonel another little shock, she flipped up with one in each hand. "Looking for something, Colonel?" she taunted him, dancing side to side while he stood up shakily to look for an opening. As predicted, he lunged to claim the spears, but she threw one of them at his stomach. Not enough to kill him, but enogh to knock him over. It landed with perfect aim. He fell, clutching the spear and painfully pulled it out as she loomed over him with the other, pointed at his nose. "This is my last offer, Colonel." she said with her voice lowered. "Surrender........now."   
  
Cutter lay back, his wounds and exhaustion really getting to him this time. This woman was insane....and much as he hated to admit it, insanely good. "Ok, Private Cherry, you win." he said weakly. Cherry raised one eyebrow. Private?   
  
The crowd cheered so loud it bounced off the walls. Even after the medics had taken the spent contestants away they kept applauding. Bala and Z watched from the balcony, stunned.   
  
"Wow......"  
  
They shook her heads, then thoughtfully walked away. 


	3. Initiation

The Initiation  
  
  
Sharp talons dug into Cherry's arm and shook her awake. Startled, she jolts upright and finds herself looking straight into the red, furious eyes of Second Lieutenant Speede. He is a monstrous pilot...three heads taller than Cutter, blood-red colored, and has black tiger stripes racing down his body. His long face is crinkled into an angry grimace. When he sees Cherry come to, he steps back, glaring at her fiercely.  
  
"What do you think this is, Private?" he snarls. "A getaway resort? You missed drill practice. You have some catching up to do."  
  
Cara and Delta stand behind Speede. Cara cleared her throat. "You'll have to excuse Speede." she said, not unkindly, but still firm. "He's the go-to ant for rousing sleepy new recruits. Cutter sent you to us because he thinks you're Recon-50 material. I hope you can prove him right." She smiled slightly.   
  
Cherry tried best to compose herself. Still half asleep, she spoke the first think that came off the top of her head.   
  
"Thanks for the alarm clock." she said to Cara, referring to Speede, and yawned. "I thought all the aromatherapy in the room would have calmed him down. Sorry I missed drill practice. I'm not used to having a schedule."  
  
Speede growls again, and clears his throat. Indeed, the usually pleasant fumes floating about the room are getting to him...but not the way they were intended.  
  
Cara shook her head. "It would be nice if all it took to calm Speede down was aromatherapy. Unfortunately, the Second Lieutenant has an aversion to anything meant to pacify an ant..."  
  
Delta chuckles, and Speede shoots both of them a withering glare. "I think we should be honest with you, Private Cherry." Delta said. "We really don't have much of a schedule either, but all new recruits are subjected to this, so I suggest you just hold on for the ride."  
  
Speede, still fuming, stalked from Cherry's quarters. Delta and Cara followed him out. Cara stopped in the doorway and turned to Cherry.  
  
"I suggest you pick a good weapon, Pravate." she warned. "Apparently, Speede wishes to meet you in the sparring ring."  
  
That last statement from Cara shocked Cherry fully awake, and her eyes widened with the awareness of what lay before her. She took a dep breath to calm herself, and grabbed her weapon that sat up against the wall. It was the custom-made carved rose stem with the three sharp thorns polished to perfection. She took care to get the other one without the poisoned barbs. "Let's go tame the lion." she smiled to Cara as they walked out. "I hope this won't take long. I haven't had breakfast yet."  
  
Cara loked over her shoulder at Speede. "Actually, he reminds me more of a tiger." She smiled. "And he hasn't had breakfast either...he claims he's more awake on an empty stomach. More aggressive, too...so I'd be careful if I were you."  
  
Cara led Cherry to the practice ring, where Speede was already warming up, twirling his spear/sword from one hand to another. He paused in the middle of his warmup and saw Cherry, his red eyes darkening. He hefted the weapon in one hand and ponted it at her, his wings flaring as he barked out a challenge. "Private Cherry!" he roared, his voice booming across the airfield. "Since you missed your first day of drill practice, I failed to observe you. I'm calling you out to a duel to make up for your absence. Do you accept?"  
  
Cherry tried her best not to show the adreniline flow that suddenly erupted through her veins. Before she got a word out of her anxiety-parched throat, her antennas did the talking for her in a wild crackle of electricity. She felt the power surge through her palms, and fear suddenly turned to confidence as a sly smile crept across her face.  
  
"I always say yes to such a handsome face." she teased, poising her own weapon. She held back the laugh that threatened to break out at Speede's temporary look of shock. She could see that he had not seen such a weapon like the one she had, and knew she had another advantage. This was going to be interesting indeed.  
  
Speede's jaws began to work in a soundless curse. His fangs soon clicked together audibly as he began an undulating, wavering growl deep in his throat. Its primal tone sent shivers down th spines of nearly everyone nearby. Even before Cherry was fully in the practice ring, he pounced at her, his deadly spear/sword whistling as its polished blade cut through the air. Quickly, he strikes for Cherry's midsection. His swiftness was astounding, as was his precision and the ferocity of his attack.   
  
She started to fly up, and Speede knocked her down, flinging her into the wall. She almost hit the spectator standing there, who quickly moved out of the way, shock on their faces.  
  
"No flying allowed in this duel, Private!" Speede hisses. "If you don't play fair, I won't either." Faster than Cherry's eyes could follow, he darted towards her and struck with a fast, short jab to her thorax. As she doubled over, Speede reached down with one claw-tipped hand and picked her up by the nape of the neck, then tossed her back into the arena as casually and effortlessly as if he was flinging a used tissue into the garbage.  
  
"I can play ball all day." he growls. "I know you can do better than this, and if you continue to fight one breath below your capable level, I will slay you where you stand." His talons, clenched around the dual handles of the spear, glisten dangerously under the floodlights of the sparring ring.   
  
"Think." Cherry breathlessly, mentally told herself as she prepared for her next move. "You're not fighting a praying mantis. You're fighting a trained killer."  
  
Something told her to control her emotions and use the skills she had been taught. Speede's words stung as bad as his claws. He wanted to see skills, not blind instinct. She composed herself and stood up slowly to meet him.  
  
"You think I was fighting before?" she challenged him, her strength and wits renewed. "That was just a warmup. Playtime's over."  
  
She blocked his next lunge by dropping and rolling and rose to flip backwards over her spear. then before he could hit her again,she kicked him in the chest and swung her weapon against his arm. The barbs tore into the skin, drawing blood. Before he could retaliate, Cherry danced around him to try for another move. She could hear the crowd going wild.   
  
The toes of Speede's sharp feet dug into the floor like the roots of a bristlecone pine that quickly uprooted for another attack. Cherry felt inwardly pleased with herself that at least she had managed to injure him. She also smiled as his breath was starting to come in ragged gasps. But then, so was hers.  
  
"Had enough?" she challenged, bracing her weapon. His eyes were even wilder than before, a look that bordered on the insane. Cherry was well aware that he was easily capable of killing her, but she was still alive. She knew this was just a test. But would she pass?  
  
Speede gritted his teeth as he glanced down at the wounds. He snorted laughter, then looked back up at her, a wicked smile flickering across his jaws.  
  
"You must be kidding, Private." he hissed. "I've seen skinned knees worse than this." He stepped forward, twirling the two-handled weapon in front of him. He feigned with a strike to the left, then shot out with a slap from the right with the flat of the enormous blade. Even if Cherry had managed to block it, the force still would have sent her falling on her backside. He must have thought that Cherry's previous strike was a better move, since this last offensive maneuver could have easily killed her.   
  
Before Cherry could recover, Speede balled up a fist and clocked her in the jaw, dropping the smaller ant like a rock. He pinned her left wing to the ground with the tip of his spear's blade as he stood over her.   
  
"I believe the questions is, have - you - had enough?" he growled, a smile creeping over his sharp features. "If you value your wing, you will notice that the smallest movement on your part will force my blade to tear through." He laughed bitterly. He made sure to stand out of reach of a leg swipe. A small, but deadly-looking dagger dropped into his hand from a previously-unseen brace around his wrist. "Besides, I'll throw this lovely little blade straight through your throat with the flick of my wrist."  
  
The crowd is silent, and more than one spectator has a sickly feeling in their stomachs that Speede would do just that.  
  
Without a word, Cherry stood up quickly on her head. Speede looked at her quizzically, then laughed, thinking she was surrendering. But while he was feeling satisfied with himself, she bounced up and threw her legs around his neck and squeezed with all her might. Electricity crackled from her antennae as she twisted Speede's head around with a jerk. His vertabrae crunched like a bowl of Christmas nuts, but only enough to injure him. He let out a howl of pain as Cherry pulled out the spear form her wing, clenching her teeth.   
  
"What's that you were saying about a blade through my throat?" she taunted humorlessly. She ignored the pain that ripped through her wing as fluid poured out of it. The pain was unbearable, but it was a risk she was willing to take. She had been through worse than this. Speede's eyes bugged out of his limp head and he fell over, still clutching the dagger. Her energy drained, Cherry collapsed and fell over him. Not a sound was heard in the arena as the spectators held their breath.   
  
A few moments later, just as the medics, including Cella, began to rush over, Speede's red, bloody eyes flutter open. He was in agony, and couldn't move his neck, but he rolled over to his side with a pained growl anyway to look at Cherry. He groaned and sat up on his knees, fingering the dagger in one hand as he wiped his bloody nose with the other. All of a sudden, rage coursed through him, and for a moment, all pain was ignored. He raised the dagger up over his head, aiming for Cherry's heart, and just as he was going to let it fly...  
  
Cella, the head nurse, rushed into the ring and injected him with a sedative.  
  
The drugs, specially mixed for brutes like Speede for situations such as this, took quick effect. With a groan, Speede crumpled over and toppled to the side like a hewn tree. The dagger fell to the ground with a clatter, its point not an inch from Cherry's nose.   
  
"Thank you, Cella..." Cherry muttered weakly before she, too, fell unconsious, but alive. 


	4. Blue

CHERRY MEETS BLUE  
  
  
Cherry returned to her quarters momentarily to find them completely toilet-papered. As she surveyed the mess, peals of laughter rang out through the room.  
  
"Just my way of initiating you into the wing, eh?" Private Blue was perched on the end of Cherry's bed, a mischevious grin on his face and half a roll of tissue in his hand. "I couldn't find anywhere else to put this one." he chuckled. "Hey, at least my way of saying hi isn't tearing up your wing." He pointed to Cherry's injured wing.   
  
Cherry gasped at the scene. "What the hell???" she exclaimed, looking at the mess. Then, when she saw Blue, she jumped. "How did you get in here? Okay, I get it. First, I have to pass the physiucal torture. This must be the mental." She had to smile as she saw Blue, staring at her. She couldn't figure out if he was a devil or an angel, but he sure was cute. "I was going to redecorate, but it looks like you beat me to it. But if you touched any of my stuff, I'll have to tie your antennas into a pretzel, bake them, salt them, and eat them for lunch."  
  
Blue held up his hands, the annoying little smile still plastered across his face. "I didn't touch a thing," he chuckled. "I left that to the 'tp."  
  
She sat down on her bed, taking care not to sit on her sore wing. She felt a little embarassed but exited at having such an interesting visitor. When she looked at him to continue the conversation, she saw intelligence and entensity behind the surface boyishness and mischief in his warm brown eyes. Like a boy/man. She liked him instantly. He was the kind she could be herself with but wondered if she could ever talk about anything serious. He seemed so playful. She noticed his scars and ventured, "I see we're even on the battlefield. You must be part cat, because you have nine lives. I'm really glad to have a visitor who dosen't consider me a threat. To tell you the truth, I think they should be more worried about YOU." She paused, then tilted her head. "So, did you see my battle with the Creature of the Night? How do you two get along? Where is he now?"  
  
"Oh, I'm only dangerous on a mission." Suddenly, Blue looked a little bit more serious, if that was possible. "Ahh, yes, you had that initiation-tussle with Speede a few days back. Yeah, I watch it. He was about to kill ya after that last move you caught him in." Blue shudders. "I must say he dosen't care fo me at all. I've tried stuff like this on him a long time ago, but..." he rubs the back of his neck. "...the resulting beating was only a tad worse than my last crash and burn from 70 clicks."  
  
He leaned back on his perch and fanned out his battered, bruised wings for balance. "I believe he's nursing his ego in the practice ring and beating up on some new recruits. Of course, he's not as bad as Mandible. Real jerk, used to be General. Back in cadet school he was giving a speech to us new recruits. Rev, who isn't here anymore, was with me that day. The ol' gasbag was standing right in front of us. Rev cracked a joke and we both started laughing." Blue got up, trying to imitate Mandible's sinister snarl. "What's so funny, you little fly fart?" he said.   
  
"Nothing Sir. We just think you're beautiful when you're angry." The next thing I remember was waking up in the infirmary."  
  
Cherry laughed. "Want a little salt with that foot, Blue? When he called you a little fly fart, you should have told him that flies always hover over a dung heap! I had something like that happen, only mine was unintentional. I was standing behind my oldest sister Queen Electra while she was giving a speech to the soldiers. She always had a harem of men handy, and several of them knew her in more ways than one. Anyway, she was barking out instructions when all of a sudden, I sneezed so hard I farted, and when you're a fire ant, it's not just air. You actually fart fire! Everybody but Electra cracked up. To make it worse, I blew snot on her back and she whipped around and shook me like a palm tee in a hurricane. That wa the first time I saw starts underground. I could tell you some more, but I don't want to ruin your dinner. Electra and Mandible would have made a good couple, only I think they probably would have ended up killing each other."  
  
Blue snorted laughter, and nearly fell backwards off his perch. He looked up at Cherry and smirked. "Hot ime in the ol town that night, eh?"  
  
He picked himself up and walked ot the door. "Sorry I gotta toilet paper and run, but you know how it goes." Blue paused for a moment, his antennae wavering, then glanced at the half empty roll in his hand. He looked back at Cherry with a startlingly dark and mischeivious grin, and then rushed outside in a bruised blur.  
  
A few moments later, he was finished. Blue had used the last of the tp to decorate the outside of her shack as well, and was perched on the roof in his trademark squat, admiring his handywork.  
  
He mock-salutes Cherry. "You got it easy, Cher. Sometimes I use beetle eggs." 


	5. Blue Balls

BLUE BALLS  
  
Cherry waited till the barracks were empty, then sneaked in with her pot of honey. Trying not to laugh, she walked over to Blue's bunk and smeared every object he owned, even the bed. Then, she took the brush and wrote "Sweet Guys Deserve a Sweet Treat" on the wall where he couldn't miss it. Then, she went back to her room and waited for his return...and his reaction.  
  
An hour passes and the Wing returns from field trials. suprisingly, there is no outburst from the Hangar, which is quite confusing considering the havoc Cherry wroght on Blue's bunk.  
  
Soon, there is a knock on Cherry's door. When she answers it, there is no one in the entrance. Suddenly, one hand clasps onto her shoulder from above and another is positioned by her throat, holding a harmless practice dagger. A mischievious, laughing voice chuckles.  
  
"I'm really that sweet?"  
  
Cherry gasps. Part of her is scared to death, and part of her is aroused by Blue's touch. In the blur that this happens, she dosen't know it's only a practice dagger, and prepares to fight it out of his hand.   
  
"Blue." she says with forced calm. "Put the knife down and we'll talk about this...please."  
  
Blue notices that she hasn't caught on, and continues the act. "Oh, I don't know if that's such a good idea." he snickers, faking sincerity and inching the fake blade closer to her throat while his other hand moves into a light choke-hold. "I mean, you seem like a pretty dangerous charachter. I don't know if I feel safe..."  
  
"All right, you asked for it!" Cherry elbows him, then spins around and presses his palm with her thumb to get the knife. It clatters to the ground and Cherry grabs it with lightning swiftness. "I haven't forgotten my little tricks." she says smirking and waving the knife. Then she looks at it, and a snarl crosses her face. "Blue! You little..." she starts to fly after him...  
  
Blue snorts laughter. With a flurry of his kinked wings, he launches himself straight up in the air, and the wash from his sudden wingbeats interrupts Cherry's airborne progress. As Cherry compensates, Blue darts behind the shack and out of sight, snickering the entire time. Cherry shoots straight up into the air in vain before she realizes that Blue has ducked out of sight. She has a feeling of where he is, and her sensetive nose leads her to him.   
  
"You think you're pretty clever, don't you?" she smiles, hovering over him. "This isn't over yet!"  
  
Suddenly, Blue rockets out at her from his hiding place under a broken rafter. He wraps his arms around her shoulders, interrupting her wingbeats and sending them thumping back to the ground. A split second later, Blue has her pinned on her back. He's grinning like an idiot.  
  
"I think it is now, eh?"  
  
Cherry feels embarassed, partly from what just happened, and partly because she was secretly hoping he'd kiss her.  
  
"Hey, I had to show you you'd met your match." she smiled, getting up and wondering what to do next. "I always have to outdo the enemy to best them..." she finished, drawing closer to him.  
  
Blue slides off his perch and turns around Cherry, his wings ever so lightly brushing against her. "I'm sorry to break it to you, Cherry," he says, "but I'm more than a match for you when it comes to pranks. Your first day I decided to go easy on ya--you were lucky--" he pokes his smiling mug an inch from her face,and then slowly draws back.  
  
Cherry's antennae crackle from the exitement of him being so close to her, and she can't control it. She's feeling it in other areas, too. She's sure her eyes are dialating, and she's only half comprehended what he's just said.   
  
"No, I'm sure that was the only thing you could think of at the time." she says, smiling. "You didn't want to give TOO bad a first impression."  
  
Blue smiles back. "Ahh...you're sharp one, ou are, with a good sense of humor and bad case of static electricity to boot!" He chuckles, watching her antennae crackle. "Don't touch a doorknob anytime soon, you'll electrocute yourself." One of his long, kinked antennae lightly brushes hers, and it jumps back suddenly, feigning an electric shock.  
  
"Oh, so funny I forgot to laugh!" Cherry rolls her eyes. "I can set things on fire with these, you know." She feels a shiver run through her as his antenna touches hers, and wonders how much longer this is going to go on before somebody makes a move.  
  
Before Cherry knows what happens next, Blue has leaned forward again and planted a smack right on her lips! He stands back, a satisfied grin on his face. "You're not the only one who can start fires..." he chuckles.  
  
Cherry just stands there, melting, her eyes half closed and half in shock. "What...was...that?" she says slowly,not able to move. She hopes his nose isn't as sensetive as Delta's because she's burning up. If anything, she wants more.  
  
Blue plays the smart-ass once more. "Oh," he says, "you don't know what that was? That was called a 'kiss', and it's the traditional form of communication between two civilised beings that proclaims the attraction of one to the other." He cocks his head, studying her with an idiotic grin on his face. "If you want an even more detailed explaination, I can refer you to a quite comprehensive encyclopedia in Educational Services..."  
  
Cherry stops him in mid sentence. "I'm the hands on type myself." she says ina sultry voice, moving within breathing distance of him. "You started it. Now finish it."  
  
Blue spooks a bit, but his demeanor dosen't change. He leans into her and gives her another quick kiss, then pulls back, gently rubbing her arms. "Hey," he says seriously, "not so fast. Can I get you a drink or something?" He smirks. "I know where Topper keeps his best brew, and the Wing just left for dinner, so they won't be home until late."  
  
"I'm sorry." Cherry says, her eyes glowing. It's been a long time, and I really like you. You really got me going." As Blue rubs her arms, she has put hers around his waist and is caressing his back. "I just wanted a longer kiss, that's all. If you give me one, I'll have some sugar water with you, and we can talk. Why don't we sit down in the main room? It's really comfortable in there, and you don't have to be nervous about being alone in mine. Deal?" She smiles and waits for his response.  
  
Blue studies her again. "All you wanted was a longer kiss? I think I can manage - that -" He smirks, then pulls her gently to him, giving her a long, open-mouthed kiss that sets both their wings buzzing. When he pulls back, he smiles his trademark grin again. "It's a deal. Now how about that drink?"  
  
Cherry is blushing a deeper red, and not from embarassment. She has to linger in the afterglow before she can reply. "I'd love it." she says in a low voice,her eyes misty. "But I might want more physical contact...just kidding!" Of course, she's not kidding, but she dosen't want to overwhelm him. "After you, flyboy."  
  
Blue smirks, and leads Cherry into the hangar, seating her in the plush, comfy chairs of the lounge. He goes behind Cara's counter and digs around for a bit, then pulls out a flask. Cherry can already smell the pungant liquor fumes even before Blue pulls up a pair of glasses and walks over, pulling up a chair opposite Cherry. He pours her some of the liquor and hands her the glass.  
  
"Topper owes me, anyway." he says. "He shouldn't mind too much."  
  
"Sounds like Topper owes everybody." Cherry laughs, taking her sugar water. "I don't like alcohol, so this'll do just fine." The strong smell of the other drink is abrasive to her sensetive nose, but she dosen't care. "Sorry if I'm a party pooper, but sugar water gets me weird enough. Not that I'm not already. But then, so are you." she teases, expecting him to get revenge in one way or another. "But if you were'nt, you wouldn't be so...interesting." She looks at him with narrowed eyes.  
  
Blue downs the extra glass of liquor in one fell swig before starting on the other, more slowly this time around. "Interesting..." he muses. "That's possibly the nicest word anyone has used to describe me. I thank you for not using the usual euphanisms for me...so in return, I can just call you--sparkly." He grins, referring to her electric talents.  
  
"That sounds better than my own name." Cherry smiles. "And you'd know why if you knew what it REALLY meant." She leans over and whispers that meaning in Blue's ear.  
  
Blue jumps back, a semi-shocked look on his face, but he is laughing instead of acting freaked-out. "WHOOOOOoooa!" he chortles. "Wash your mouth out with soap, young lady!" he says, pouring some more booze and taking a big drink. He's looking a little flushed. "Do you know what my name menas? Betcha can't guess...Give up? It means...da da da da! Blue! What a coincidence,huh?"  
  
Cherry is starting to get a little hyper from the sugar water. "Oh, that's so intelligent! Badumbum!" She starts to laugh, and sprays him.  
  
Blue sits there, dripping with sugar water, his eys tightly closed. Suddenly, they pop open and he bursts out laughing. "Well, that's not the most terrible thing I've been sprayed with," he says, shaking himself dry like an insectile dog. "You shoulda been there the night Topper got a little---sick---during a night out. Ahh--I'll let you use your imagination." He winks, and then bounces off his seat and squeezes next to Cherry in her chair, which just happens to be big enough for two...  
  
"I'd rather not use my imagination." Cherry winces. "I'll bet his barf could be patented!" Then, when Blue sits by her, she starts to feel horny again. "I thought you thought I was moving too fast!" she syas in a lower voice, knowing his boldness is partly brought on by the alcohol. "You might regret this tomorrow, though I won't."  
  
Blue has an idea what is going through Cherry's mind. "I'm not drunk, if that's what you mean." he says, kissin gher gently on the cheek. "I just---know that you've been hurt before and recently, and I didn't want to do anything until I was sure you were serious...'cause I've been hurt before, too." He suddenly turns serious, and looks deep in her eyes., "I,uh, thought you were cute the first day you showed up here, but you showed more interest in the Sergeant, so I stayed back." He kisses her again, tenderly, this time delicately on the bridge of her nose.  
  
Cherry is overwhelmed by his tenderness, even more than the kiss her gave her before. She is even more taken by his interest in her and his knowledge of what she's been through. "How did you know all that?" she asks in a faraway voice, lingering in his attention to her. "Did you read the diary, too? I mean, I know you could see I was interested in Delta, but how did you know those other things? I never told you about Runner. I have to admit I liked you the first day I met you, too,and thought you were funny as hell. Now I like you even more that I can see this sexy, serious side of you. Now you're as irrisistable as Delta...you know what we have to do, don't you?" Cherry brushes her antennas against his, sending a little current through them enough to tickle him. She can feel the fire from his own body burning against her, and straddles his lap, looking down at him before giving him a deep, hot, we, long tongue kiss...  
  
Blue returns the kiss, groaning softly. "Uhh...no," he manages. "I - I never read your diary, I just - I just knew..." The current runs through him, and every fiber of his body absorbs it and succumbs to it like a succulent, sweet drug. He runs his hands down the length of her back, easing her down onto him, and then letting them trail up the gently-sweeping curves of her wings as she settles down. Another wave of pleasure courses through him, and he kisses her forcefully once more, his body quivering and pulsing with the sensation. Cherry feels his hardness increase with every kiss, and she takes him easily, wrapping her arms around his back. They entwine for another deep kiss, and Cherry relishes the feel of him inside her, so stiff and strong. He starts a slow and gentle rhythm, and she groans into his neck, taking her lips and tongue and sliding them up and down it.  
  
Blue moans softly, and intensifies the pace, pleasure surging through every pore. He leans even closer to her, his head moving around and his mouth kissing her fervently on her neck and down to her shoulders. He clasps onto her even harder, and his back arches suddenly, sending another jolt of his own energy flowing into the powerful and sensuous dance that is their lovemaking.  
  
Cherry feels his climax shoot through her like lightning, and she feels her own rippling in response, like ocean waves poundin on the surf. She grips him harder, supressing the screams of ecstacy that threaten to break out of her.   
  
Blue actually growls, a low, alluring sound full of unspeakable pleasure. He continues in the intimate embrace as long as he can, absorbing and relishing every second that he is in her, and making sure she enjoys it just as much. When he feels his body giving way, he loosens his grip somewhat, continuing to stroke the sensetive membranes of her wings as he does. Finally, when the inevitable end to their precious session is in sight, he lets out a long, satisfied sigh, and slowly, carefully, leans back, exhausted and surrounded by a warm, damp, and utterly happy proverbial blanket.  
  
Cherry leans in to give him a finishing slow, sensuous kiss, drinking in the sweetness of his scent. She finishes to touch her nose to his, not wanting to let go. Although she is satisfied, she needs to linger in his embrace. "Come to my room and spend the night." she suggests. "I know this isn't going to be enough..."  
  
Blue stares deeply at her, and smiles, his warm brown eyes blinking slowly. "I don't think so either..." he shispers pausing as a late wave of pleasure threatens to surge..."You're incredible, Cherry." he manages when the feeling passes. "By all means, I'd LOVE to stay at your place," he says as he trails a finger around the patterns on her chest. "I never thought I'd feel like this..." he continues softly. He is completely awestruck, and still spinning. He is already addicted to her.   
  
Cherry loves this side of him. She never expected to see such predatorial passion beneath the class-clown surface. She's addicted to him, too, and takes his hand, leading him to her room. Blue lays on the bed and Cherry gets out some special stuff to give him a sensuous massage.  
  
Blue closes his eyes, allowing the scent of the potion to take over, and soon, he is completely relaxed and at ease. "Cherry?" he asks softly, "What does this mean, now? Beg your pardon, but to be honest..." he pauses as she works her hands into a formerly very tight muscle. "I've never felt like this before." He winces, hoping he dosen't sound like a total baby.  
  
"Are you saying I was the first?" Cherry leans over him and says this low in his ear. She caresses his shoulders and back in an S-shaped pattern, feeling overwhelmed by his vulnerability. "I bet you've fantasized it countless times. Don't worry..." she says, kissing neck, "I'll take good care of you." She can't understand what this man is doing to her, making her feel continuously sensual. Her hands move down and rub his tail section slowly, pausing to give the tip of it a kiss. "Even Delta didn't make me this crazy." she admits. "The funny thing is, you still feel like my friend, too. We have a lot of getting to know each other ahead of us, in more wyas than one. Blue, you're welcome anytime...for anything...mmmmmm" She can't resist another kiss on his cheek.   
  
Blue is starting to get light-headed agian. He returns the kiss..then turns and simply looks at her. "I - if you don't mind," he mumbles, a shy grin on his face. "I'd just like to lay here with you...I - I just want to enjoy this moment as much as I can." He turns bright red, "As for being the first...it was the first like - that - that's for sure-beg'n your pardon, but I don't want to overdo it, if that's possible." He hopes he hasn't said anything stupid.   
  
Cherry sighs, realizing he needs to rest, and realy, so does she. But she gladly accepts the offer. "I'd love that, Blue." she agrees. "Com'ere..." They entwine for a slow, romantic sensual kiss, then Cherry curls up with her back against him, feeling his body against her. She's tired, but still wants him. She hopes nobody knocks on the door while they're sleeping an catch them in this compromising position. Before she drifts off, she whispers to Blue, "When you're ready agian, let me know." She wiggles against him, trying not to get too exited by his masculine body, and finally starts to sleep.  
  
Blue mumbles an affirmative "Mmmm-hmmm," and slowly drifts off to sleep, confortable and at ease with the feel of her next to him. 


End file.
